The spread of COVID-19 is changing life as we know it, and for racing fans that means a red flag for the 2020 season — at least on the asphalt.
NASCAR quickly pivoted to esports with professional drivers going head-to-head with pro gamers in iRacing events broadcast on television to keep fans engaged. Now, Far Out Toys is encouraging families to #KeepRacing at home with a new social campaign featuring NASCAR Truck Series driver Natalie Decker. Just six weeks ago, approximately 100,000 fans were gathered in Florida for the Daytona 500 where Decker and Far Out Toys welcomed families to a NASCAR Adventure Force Crash Racers play zone.
The NASCAR Adventure Force Crash Racers — available exclusively at Walmart — are at the center of the #KeepRacing campaign, with at-home videos rolling out to encourage play while families are spending time together at home.
https://www.facebook.com/nataliedecker4/videos/506080030295603/
“With the ongoing good work of countless brilliant and dedicated individuals, this crisis will be overcome,” says Far Out Toys’ CEO Keith Meggs. “As it does, we are planning and preparing for a strong rebound in the market and overall demand for product and normalcy in everyday life.”
Far Out Toys joins the industry in utilizing virtual communications tools across its mobile workforce to prepare for the fall selling season.
“The key to success, and this would apply to the current health scourge facing us today, is to remain confident, optimistic and above all looking forward,” Meggs says. “We are taking this pause as an opportunity to regroup, and perhaps catch our breath after a whirlwind of growth and activity here at Far Out Toys over the past two years. We are spending our time wisely, investing in new concept development, improvements in our operational systems, and ratcheting up our factory capabilities.”
At Toy Fair New York, Far Out Toys debuted new extensions to its NASCAR Crash Racers brand and its entry into new categories with Candies and Playful Pandas.